979
5th November 1915,
Kreutzstrasse [sic] 19, III., Zurich VIII.,
Switzerland.
Dear Mr. Joyce,
I have just received your letter of October 31st.[1] I sent you yesterday Mr. Grant
Richards'
royalty account for "The Dubliners", and no doubt it has reached you by
this time.
I have "Exiles" in the office at the moment, and I can have a copy
made and sent out to you if you wish, but the only way to do it would be
to have it typewritten. If you would like this done, I will put it in hand and
get it done as cheaply as possible.
I note your suggestion about the novel;[2] but do you not think it would be
better for
us to see what comes of the negotiations with Messrs. Duckworth before
trying Mons. Conard? Frankly, I doubt if the latter would take up the book
on the terms you suggest. He tells me that he is doing quite well with his
Continental Library, but he is finding production extremely difficult under
present conditions, and his commitments of English novels in the
Continental Library monopolise, I think, his energies at the moment.
I tell you this not to crab your plan, but only because I think that it
is not promising enough to justify us in abandoning the other. I am hopeful
that Messrs. Duckworth will take up the work, but I have learned in these
days not to be confident unless the thing is concluded.